Track-cleaner



(No Model.)

0. T. FISHER. TRACK CLEANER.

No. 548,634. Patented Oct. 29, 1895.

wvewto e UNITED STATES l PATENT OEErcE.

CHARLES T. FISHER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

TRACK-CLEAN ER.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 548,634, dated October 29, 1895.

' Application filed May 31, 1895. Serial No. 551,244. (No model.)

will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in track-cleaners, and more particularly to such as are adapted for use on street railroads, the object of the invention being to so construct a track-cleaner that it will operate to efiectually remove dirt, 850., from the tread and groove of the rails either on straight or curved track.

A further object is to produce a trackcleaner adapted to be so connected with the car as not to be affected by the vibrations thereof.

A further object is to construct a trackcleaner in such manner that it can be applied to the brake-shoes.

A further object is to so construct a scraperplate for a track-cleaner that it can be readily placed in position or removed when worn, and to so mount and support said scraper-plate that it can be raised when desired.

A further object is to produce a trackcleaner which shall be simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, not easy to get out of order, which can be easily, cheaply, and quickly applied to any car, and which shall be effectual in all respects in the performance of its functions.

With these objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as hereinafter set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view showing the application of my improved track-cleaner to a brake-shoe. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the device. Fig. 8 is a separate view of the scraper-plate. Figs; and 5 are views illustrating modifications.

A represents a brake block or shoe, to which a bracket or holder B is secured by means of set-screws, bolts, or in any other suitable manner, said bracket or holder being adapted to project somewhat beyond the edge of the brake block or shoe.

The bracket or holder B may consist of two side plates 1 l and a horizontal plate 2, connected at its edges to the lower edges of said side plates, the latter preferably terminating at their upper ends in narrow portions or arms 3 3, which are secured to the brake block or shoe in the manner above explained; or, if desired, the entire bracket or holder may be made in a single casting.

If desired, one of the side plates 1 may be omitted and the bracket or holder made L- shaped in cross-section.

The bottom or horizontal plate 2 is made with an elongated slot 4 for the accommodation of a scraper-plate C, the walls of 'said .slot being made beveled, so that the scraperplate will be normally disposed in a diagonal position in front of the car-wheel and at right angles to the axis of the latter. The upper end of the scraper-plate is made with ears or shoulders 5, adapted to bear on the upper face of the plate 2 to limit the downward movement of said scraper-plate and prevent its escape. The lower end of the scraperplate 0 is made to conform to the tread and groove of the track-rail, so as to remove any ice, snow, dirt, or other substance or article on the track or in the groove thereof. It is particularly desirable to remove foreign matter from the tracks of electric railways when the track forms a. part of the electric conductor, as it frequently happens that the presence of foreign substances on the track, and especially in the grooves of the rails on curves, prevents the proper and continuous electrical contact of the wheels with the track, and thus more or less seriously interferes with the supply of current to the motor, which would result in the uneven running of the car. My improved scraper most edectually prevents the occurrence of such evils by thoroughly removing all foreign matter which might constitute an insulating medium from the track and groove therein.

The scraper-plate C may be made of wood, gum, pressed paper, metal, or any other desired material.

ECO

The device is exceedingly simple in construction, can be manufactured and applied to any car at a very small cost, and is very eifectual in all respects in the performance of its functions.

Acleaner such as above described will preferably be applied in proximity to each wheel of the car. When the car is runnng in one direction, the scraper-plates at the rear end of the car will be raised off of the track and held in their raised position by means of a pin a, passed through perforations b in said scraperplates. IVhen the car runs in the opposite direction, these pins will be removed'to allow the scraper-plates to engage the track-rails, and the scraper-plates at the opposite end of the car will be raised and held up in the same manner as above explained.

Instead of securing the device to the brake blocks or shoes, as above described, it may be secured to a cross-bar 0 under the car,:in which case the elongated slot 4 in the horizontal plate 2 of the holderB will be disposed at right angles to said cross-bar and axisof the car-wheel.

The device might be secured tothe oarbot tom, if desired; but in that case I prefer to attach it by means of a spring e, one end of which is secured to the car and the other. end to the holder.

Various slight changes might be made in the details of construction of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof or limiting its scope, and hence I do not Wish to limit myself to the precise details of construction herein set forth; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claimas new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a bracket having a substantially horizontal bottom having a diagonal slot formed therein, of a scraper plate fitted to slide up and down in the slot and provided with lateral projection to prevent it from dropping out of the slot, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a holder having a slot, of a scraper plate adapted to scrape the track rail, cars adapted to engage the holder to prevent the escape of the scraper plate, said scraper platehaving a hole between its ends and a pin adapted to pass through said hole and rest on the holder to sustain the scraper plate in an elevated position, substantially as set forth.

3. In a track cleaner, the combination with a holder comprising side plates and a horizontal plate connectingsaid side plates and having witnesses.

. CHARLES T. FISHER. Witnesses:

JosEPH DUNN, O. A. BANDELL. 

